Deadlift form check

[Elle]

160lbs, 3x3 (should I be doing 2x3???)
August 11, 2020 - YouTube

I feel awkward for the last 4 inches or so of the pull, like I don't know what to do with my shoulders. Often I feel like they're slumped so far forward/down that I can't get the bar high enough up my legs to "count".

I stopped wearing lifters to deadlift because I had the long leg problem discussed in the Blue Book. I wanted to topple forward and/or move my knees forward.

Thank you!

[Jeff Johnson]

Hey Elle, I am not an SSC.

I would like to suggest that your stance is a little wide and you could narrow it up an inch or so on each foot.

I watched this video a couple times and I still can't be positive, but it does not appear that you are dragging the bar against your shins. It looks like the bar is just slightly staying in front of you, not in contact with your body.

Something that may help you is simply shifting your weight back towards your heels just prior to the pull. This might help things feel more balanced for you!

[m s]

No shoes. Prepare to be scolded.

[Elle]

Thanks. It's true that the bar does not touch my shins. I will try moving my feet in more.

[Frank_B]

Elle,

Not a SSC either.

I think you're pulling "around your knees." The third rep seems to be the most apparent. Slow the video down to 1/4 speed and watch your third rep. It doesn't look like your knees are moving much at all until the bar is almost past them. At some point, this will leave your body with your shoulders way out front and the weight somewhere around your knees, putting you at a mechanical disadvantage. I also can't tell if the bar is making contact with your shins.

Think of "pushing the earth away" to initiate the movement... Like you're squatting the weight off the floor or initiating a leg press.

Also, I think they prefer videos from a front 45 degree angle, and, yeah, you may be sentenced to a few days in Starting Strength Jail for the no shoes, no socks, no form check rule.

[Pete Troupos]

These are more stiff-legged deadlifts than deadlifts. You're setup a little too close to the bar so your quads don't really help to break it off the ground.
Also, please read the sticky about filming angles and shoes.

[Elle]

These are more stiff-legged deadlifts than deadlifts. You're setup a little too close to the bar so your quads don't really help to break it off the ground.
Also, please read the sticky about filming angles and shoes.

Sorry about the wrong angle. I'll do it the other way next time.

Do you have any recommendations for shoes? The lifters make my form a mess given my leg/torso ratio, and my feet are too wide for chucks/vans. So barefoot just seemed like the next best option.

[Hayden-William Courtland]

The lift will feel different once you fix your setup as Pete noted. So, I would try shoes again once form is dialed in. Lifters aren't great for my long limbs either, but you can do a little rock back step (to get on mid foot) before you pull to fix those issues. Takes some practice, but very doable.

[Elle]

Ok, I'm facing the right way, I'm wearing shoes and a belt, and I moved the bar further over midfoot in the starting position.

August 16, 2020 - YouTube

Sorry for my earlier taboos.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Get another half-inch closer to the bar. Knees are still too far forward when you start the pull.